The loudest sound in this and every world you can think of.
August 27, 2011 2:47 PM Subscribe
As a teenager, I had some exposure to tap dance. Now I'm a working drudge in my late twenties. How can I bring tap back into my life?
Background: I went to an arts-based high school where students had a curriculum in the fine arts alongside traditional academic subjects. Naturally, we had an extensive dance program. Furthermore, students whose schedule would allow could substitute dance for gym. I disliked gym, and chose tap dance for the last two years of high school.
After high school, it turned out to be difficult to stay involved in tap. Modern dance takes more athleticism than I have, and I have no interest in ballroom, folk, or Latin dance styles.
What I like about tap is that it's loud, fast-paced, rhythmic, musical, and open to improvisation. It's also great aerobic exercise, and it builds balance and lower-body strength.
But I still have no idea how to bring it back into my life, and I haven't done anything tap-related since high school. I live in a multistory apartment building, so I clearly can't tap at home, even barefoot. Dance studios do offer tap lessons, and I'm happy to pay for them occasionally, but regular, frequent lessons are out of my budget.
Many of my acquaintances go to open ballroom nights and say good things about the social and recreational experiences they provide. Is there anything like that for tap? Some sort of community, or practice space, or periodic gathering for amateurs? How else can I integrate tap into my life besides taking expensive, infrequent lessons? Alternatively, have you taken tap (or some other non-paired dance form) at some point in your life, and how do you keep up with it?
Possibly relevant: I'm in Prince George's County northeast of DC.
Background: I went to an arts-based high school where students had a curriculum in the fine arts alongside traditional academic subjects. Naturally, we had an extensive dance program. Furthermore, students whose schedule would allow could substitute dance for gym. I disliked gym, and chose tap dance for the last two years of high school.
After high school, it turned out to be difficult to stay involved in tap. Modern dance takes more athleticism than I have, and I have no interest in ballroom, folk, or Latin dance styles.
What I like about tap is that it's loud, fast-paced, rhythmic, musical, and open to improvisation. It's also great aerobic exercise, and it builds balance and lower-body strength.
But I still have no idea how to bring it back into my life, and I haven't done anything tap-related since high school. I live in a multistory apartment building, so I clearly can't tap at home, even barefoot. Dance studios do offer tap lessons, and I'm happy to pay for them occasionally, but regular, frequent lessons are out of my budget.
Many of my acquaintances go to open ballroom nights and say good things about the social and recreational experiences they provide. Is there anything like that for tap? Some sort of community, or practice space, or periodic gathering for amateurs? How else can I integrate tap into my life besides taking expensive, infrequent lessons? Alternatively, have you taken tap (or some other non-paired dance form) at some point in your life, and how do you keep up with it?
Possibly relevant: I'm in Prince George's County northeast of DC.
Would Maryland Hall (in Annapolis) be too much of a shlep for you? I took adult tap there (in, like, the mid/late 90s, but they still have it). I remember all their classes being very affordable and really fun.
You could also check with local community theater companies and see if anyone would be interested in starting a tap group with you. I think you could perhaps arrange a meetup for this and start a local outdoor tap troupe. I had an acquaintance who did adult tap with some friends in a troupe -- I'll ask around and see if I can find out details of that situation for you. Please memail me if you want me to find out more.
I don't think you should totally dismiss the possibility of tapping in your apartment with character shoes with no taps on them or barefoot, but you wouldn't get to enjoy the loudness that way.
posted by pupstocks at 3:14 PM on August 27, 2011
You could also check with local community theater companies and see if anyone would be interested in starting a tap group with you. I think you could perhaps arrange a meetup for this and start a local outdoor tap troupe. I had an acquaintance who did adult tap with some friends in a troupe -- I'll ask around and see if I can find out details of that situation for you. Please memail me if you want me to find out more.
I don't think you should totally dismiss the possibility of tapping in your apartment with character shoes with no taps on them or barefoot, but you wouldn't get to enjoy the loudness that way.
posted by pupstocks at 3:14 PM on August 27, 2011
Never mind, you don't have to email me, my acquaintance's thing was this: Step Aside. Maybe connect with them for advice?
posted by pupstocks at 3:18 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by pupstocks at 3:18 PM on August 27, 2011
For entertainment and inspiration, read Ann Miller's memoir, "Miller's High Life." Also, check her shit out in Easter Parade.
posted by hermitosis at 3:23 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by hermitosis at 3:23 PM on August 27, 2011
Response by poster: tel3path: I'm not sure my roommate would appreciate male belly dancing.
pupstocks: I'm very, very tempted, and I'd be all over it if I didn't live 30 miles away. I'll still consider it, but it'll be difficult to combine with evening classes and other obligations. As far as trying tap at home, I would absentmindedly tap barefoot while waiting for water to boil or something, but then our entire floor got notes from the landlord to stop the "constant loud stomping."
posted by Nomyte at 3:33 PM on August 27, 2011
pupstocks: I'm very, very tempted, and I'd be all over it if I didn't live 30 miles away. I'll still consider it, but it'll be difficult to combine with evening classes and other obligations. As far as trying tap at home, I would absentmindedly tap barefoot while waiting for water to boil or something, but then our entire floor got notes from the landlord to stop the "constant loud stomping."
posted by Nomyte at 3:33 PM on August 27, 2011
DCDanceCollective has extensive tap classes on a drop in basis. The rates are reasonable. It's on Wisconsin Avenue ans accessible by metro (Tenleytown) and a two stop bus ride. They just published their fall schedule.
posted by elle.jeezy at 3:33 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by elle.jeezy at 3:33 PM on August 27, 2011
Nomyte, I was actually suggesting jazz dancing for you. The belly dancing was an example of an "adjacent" dance style that doesn't make a noise.
posted by tel3path at 4:01 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by tel3path at 4:01 PM on August 27, 2011
I wonder if there is a way to build a little riser for yourself, like a hollow 2ft x 2ft "stage" with an open front so the sound releases in your room rather than traveling downward. Store it under your bed and when you want to practice basic (non-traveling moves) steps you could place it on tons of padding to dull the vibrations and the stomp-factor. Maybe something topped with tile or other stone so that you get the clicks without sending the traveling low frequencies downstairs. Maybe that in combination with character shoes instead of shoes with taps.
posted by Jezebella at 1:26 PM on September 4, 2011
posted by Jezebella at 1:26 PM on September 4, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
One thing at a time though. Go to a dance school for some tap lessons, and once you're there you'll hear about the local scene through word of mouth. Possibly some of the others will be facing the same obstacles you are, and they might have found solutions that will benefit you too.
posted by tel3path at 2:53 PM on August 27, 2011